Hyperloop One is building its first full-scale test track, which is meant to demonstrate every aspect of its eventual first shipping Hyperloop transportation system, in the Nevada desert – and it’s making good progress. The so-called ‘DevLoop’ site is under construction currently, and the company released the first images and video of its progress on Tuesday morning.
As you can see from the photos, that’s a big stretch of tubing, and it looks like they’re actually quite far along. The goal is to get a test run in sometime in the first half of this year, using the 500 meter long DevLoop as a proof of concept to prepare for the construction of its first commercial installation, which is set to link up Dubai and Abu Dhabi across a roughly 100 mile stretch.
Hyperloop One tested its propulsion system in the Nevada desert, which showed how its pods would be propelled in an open-air demonstration at a fraction of the speed of the final version. Since that test in May of last year, the company has undergone considerable changes and corporate drama, but CEO Rob Lloyd told me in January at CES that it’s now at the point where the technology is a reality, and all that remains is successful execution of the concept.
The use of Hyperloop tech would enable shipping of cargo between Abu Dhabi and Dubai in as little as 12 minutes, which is a tiny chunk of the current two hour trip time. Hyperloop One will first focus on ferrying goods, and eventually hopes to transport passengers at high speeds, too, cutting commute times and potentially broadening the definition of a “suburb” for major urban centres.
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